THE HEAT IS ON

Steve NidetzCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Anyone with a TV set and a cable hook-up can dive right into the National League East Division race. The Cubs try to extricate themselves from fourth place against the San Diego Padres at 3 p.m. on WGN-TV (Channel 9). The New York Mets, currently third, play at Cincinnati at 6:30 p.m. on WOR (cable). And the second-place Montreal Expos are in Atlanta at 6:35 p.m. on WTBS

(cable). The White Sox, meanwhile, take on the Detroit Tigers again at 6:35 p.m. on WFLD-TV (Channel 32). And how can you forget those wonderful Los Angeles Olympic Games reruns on ESPN (cable) at 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.? Easily.